The present invention pertains to the field of devices which dispense a liquid, for example, those that supply a liquid such as water to a basin. The invention has particular applicability to the field of devices which provide a supply of water to a plant, e.g. a Christmas tree. However, it should be understood that this device also has applicability to the field of devices which provide a continuous supply of liquid to other sources, e.g. devices which provide water to animals, such as pets and livestock.
A number of devices are known previously for providing a continuous supply of water to a plant, e.g. a Christmas tree. Such previous devices typically include some sort of fluid conduit for providing water to the plant. These devices typically rely on various fluid mechanical principles to provide water to the plant basin, for example, siphoning. Other devices provide various electrical and mechanical structures for regulating the flow of water through the conduit to the plant basin. However, in such previous systems, it is common that the fluid conduit can become dislodged from the basin, in which case water can spill onto the floor, creating a mess and a potential hazard. This problem can also occur during installation and refilling of the liquid supply, resulting in difficulties in operation.
The previous devices also suffer from many other drawbacks. Most previous devices don't have a sufficient water storage capacity to provide a fluid source which can last for a period of weeks. Also, many other devices include a built-in tree stand, requiring the consumer to purchase redundant hardware. Many previous devices are unaesthetic in appearance and are highly complex mechanically, thus expensive to manufacture.